Learn how to make home fries just like the diner (or better) with our recipe that's crispy on the outside, but soft within. They're cooked in bacon fat and include crispy pieces of smoky, thick-cut bacon along with red onion, red and yellow bell peppers, and fresh parsley and thyme for a colorful and delicious dish. They’re a natural partner for eggs over easy, sunnyside up, or any way you like them. But these home fries are too good to only enjoy only at breakfast—try them for dinner with chicken, fish, or pork chops.
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What Are Home Fries?
Home fries are cut-up potatoes cooked on the stovetop. They’re also known as home-fried potatoes, house fries, fried potatoes, and cottage-fried potatoes, among other names. They are made by pan- or skillet-frying small chunks of potato in fat, often with chopped onions or bell peppers, sometimes with bacon. Some recipes call for using leftover potatoes (like using last night's leftover boiled potatoes to make home fries fast for breakfast), others call for parboiling the potatoes before frying, and a third camp insists on using raw potatoes.
How to Make Home Fries
Our home fries are a hearty dish. The potatoes have the right balance of a soft, creamy inside and crispy, crunchy exterior and they’re complimented by onion, bell peppers, bacon, and fresh herbs. In fact, they’re pretty much a complete meal by themselves.
The Potatoes
We use Yukon Gold, a great all-purpose potato that balances starchiness and waxiness.
To Parboil or Not to Parboil
This recipe calls for parboiling the potatoes still in their skins, then peeling and cutting them once they are cool enough to handle. It’s an extra step that some recipes skip for ease. We call for it because parboiling the potatoes ensures the pieces cook through and then crisp up in the skillet when they meet the bacon fat.
What About the Bacon?
Many home fries recipes do not include bacon, some use vegetable oil, others opt for butter, some even call for cooking spray. We believe bacon is best for home fries. Bacon fat imparts a delicious flavor to the cubed potatoes. And using thick-cut bacon means the meat itself is crispy but still juicy and not dried out.
And Those Vegetables
Onions are essential for home fries, and using red onion gives a colorful contrast with the potatoes and brings a more assertive onion flavor to play off the delicate flavor of the potatoes. Bell peppers are a common ingredient, and again we opt for colorful options. Green bell peppers would work here, but red and yellow have a sweeter flavor and are more colorful.
Directions
Cook potatoes:
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until potatoes have softened but are still slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
We used small potatoes; if your potatoes are larger, adjust the cooking time.
Drain, peel, and cut:
Drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes; cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Cook bacon:
Cook bacon in a large skillet set over medium heat until all fat has been rendered and bacon is crisp and brown, about 15 minutes.
Remove bacon, drain off most of fat:
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; set aside on a paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
Add potatoes and cook in remaining fat:
Add reserved potatoes; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Add bacon, peppers, onion, and thyme, and cook:
Add reserved bacon, peppers, onion, and thyme; cook until vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and serve.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
If you have any leftover home fries, store them in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheating
Reheat home fries on the stovetop as this will crisp them up better than using the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are home fries different to French fries?
Both home fries and French fries are fried white potato dishes, but French fries are long strips of potato whereas home fries are small cubes of potato. Another difference is that French fries are deep fried and home fries are sauteed in fat in a pan.
How are home fries different to hash browns?
Home fries are different to hash browns, but these two popular breakfast potato dishes are often confused. Both start with white potatoes and cook on the stovetop, but from there, they vary. For hash browns, the potatoes are julienned or shredded and as much moisture as possible removed so they will cook up very crispy. Hash browns are simply cut-up pieces of potatoes fried on the stove, usually with onions.
5 More Crispy Potato Recipes to Try:
- Oven-Roasted Home Fries
- Home-Fried Potatoes With Smoked Paprika
- Sweet Potato Home Fries
- Crispy Potatoes With Rosemary
- Sarah’s Smashed Potatoes
